Dr Akash Shambharkar completed his PhD in Pharmaceutical Microbiology at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, and his MSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. He also holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from R.T.M. Nagpur University, India. His doctoral research focused on bacteriophage-based approaches to prevent and treat catheter-associated urinary tract infections caused by Proteus mirabilis. His work investigated combinations of bacteriophages with antibiotics and plasma-activated water, developed cold plasma-assisted phage-coated catheter surfaces and isolated and characterised novel Proteus phage endolysin.
Dr Shambharkar worked as a Research Assistant at Dadasaheb Balpande College of Pharmacy in India, supporting antimicrobial research and drug delivery projects. He also undertook research internships at Nicolaus Copernicus University and the Medical University of Bia艂ystok in Poland, gaining experience in molecular biology and analytical techniques. At Queen’s University Belfast, he contributed to undergraduate microbiology practical teaching and supervised and trained undergraduate and postgraduate students in bacteriophage biology, general microbiology, biofilms, and phage bioinformatics.
His research interests include bacteriophage therapeutics, bacterial biofilms, phage-nanomaterial coupling and the application of cold atmospheric plasma to improve antimicrobial delivery and treatment effectiveness. He is particularly interested in combining phages and phage-derived enzymes with complementary technologies to address persistent infections.
Dr Shambharkar is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
